Monday, March 24, 2014

God Has Provided All I Have Needed

There are some stories which happen to you and you think you will never in a million years share those. However, there are other stories you have to tell. This one is one of those I have to tell to give God the glory for it.

Carl and I had been talking for awhile about getting a new cell phone. He has had a company phone for more years than I could count. He was still rocking the Blackberry and was happy to do so except sometimes it wouldn't work correctly since he had dropped it a few times. So, we began to discuss whether or not he should upgrade and get onto our family plan.

His employer let him know that they would still continue to pay for his cell phone bill even if he went onto the family plan, but we would have to buy the phone. Here is where you could argue whether or not a smartphone is a need or not, and you probably would be right. With Carl's job and his travel, he needs to be able to access email and company websites anywhere so a smartphone was the way to go.

We made the decision while he was out of town and agreed we would get the new phone when he got home. A few days later, I got an email from our cell phone carrier that we were eligible for a free iPhone with a two year agreement which we would have had to do anyway when we added Carl. I couldn't believe the faithfulness of God. Here we were talking about our need and here was an opportunity to get a free phone. God is good, but the story does not stop there.

We walked into the cell phone store expecting to get the free phone and add Carl to the family bill. We knew we would have to buy another car charger, cell phone case, etc. for the new phone, but we were grateful to have had the expenses cut so drastically already.

My friends, let me tell you something and when I say this, let it be known I am only bragging on the Lord. We walking into the store to get a free phone. What we walked out of the store with were two free iPhones, three free accessories (car charger, screen protectors, & cell phone case), and a $160 credit on our next phone bill. Carl said to me while we were in the store, "Let me get this right. We are walking out of the store with more money than when we came in." I agreed that we had made money on the deal. No upsales. No gimmicks. I even got to keep my cheap grandfather plan. It was just plain and simple God's timing and blessing!

Later that night, Carl was trying to explain to his mother over the phone what we had done at the cell phone store. When he got off the phone, I said, "You didn't explain that very well." Carl said, "I guess I still don't understand how we walked out of the store with all of that free stuff and even made money." My response was, "God was just showing off."

It was a renewal of my faith this week! We had a need and God provided way over and above what we would have thought or expected. So much so that it was even hard to comprehend how it had happened, but the only real explanation was God. God did it.

Last week, I wrote a blog called Satan Is Fighting For Our Kids. It has been a struggle lately for us in our parenting. One verse God has spoken to me has been Lamentations 3:22-23 (NIV) which says, "Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness." Every morning I have been trying to not let the sins of yesterday affect how I am going to deal with my kids today. I have been trying to wash the slate clean every morning.

So, this weekend at church, the first song we sang was Great Is Thy Faithfulness. It wrapped up my week with words such as "all I have needed Thy hand hath provided" and "morning by morning new mercies I see". I am thankful for God's provision way beyond our need and confirming he knows exactly where I am. He is so good.

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I will prayerfully consider every post and write the stories or words that I feel God is leading me to write. I will share the truth of what God has shown me in my life, what I believe to be true, and what works for our family. I hope this blog gives you ideas, challenges your faith, encourages you, makes you laugh, and blesses you in some way. However, I am not the owner of the truth. There is only one who truly is, and that is Jesus Christ.

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